Free speech under attack in Slatington

It is disturbing to see the recent changes made by Slatington Borough Council in its attempt to severely limit public input and conceal what is happening at meetings.First, council stopped the decades-old practice of taping meetings. Although this is not illegal, it is clearly an attempt to hide what is actually being said at meetings. Council did not like the fact that several residents received a copy of the meeting tape each month through Right to Know requests.Clearly, the tape was a useful tool, and the only reason you would do away with it, is if you were trying to hide what was actually said. Given the rash of obscene and derogatory language that council has been using toward residents, this is not a surprise.Yet, if you read the July minutes of the regular and committee meetings, you will notice that none of the profanity used by council is mentioned.Second, the committee meetings have been moved from council chambers to the “back room.” This is clearly an attempt to make visitors uncomfortable.Third (and most troubling), there is no longer public comment at committee meetings. There has always been public comment at Slatington’s committee meetings. Visitors have always been told to bring items to the committee meetings so they could be discussed in detail.However, now they are told that there is NO PUBLIC COMMENT.This is an assault on free speech and a violation of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Law.One council member stated on July 27 that “we have never allowed it.”Apparently, he was either sleeping through years of council meetings, or not paying much attention.Whoever told them that stopping public comment at an advertised meeting was legal has not looked deep into the rulings or intent of the Sunshine Law.The current council is making an effort to shut up people who voice dissenting opinions.The only thing being used freely at these meetings are President Jones and other council members’ use of profanity toward residents (as reported by the Times News). In today’s information age, you can watch your federal, state and some local government meetings on television or your smartphone. Most local governments are making things more open and accessible.In Slatington, it is like Michael J. Fox getting into that DeLorean and going back in time to 1955.Dee BrownSlatington